Complex Fetal Care at Penn State Health Children's Hospital
Penn State Health has been providing families with the expert, family-centered care they need to navigate complex maternal and fetal diagnoses for decades. With a full range of maternity services and the region’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), our team of high-risk pregnancy providers, pediatric specialists, dedicated nurse coordinators, and mental health professionals works together to provide you and your baby with individualized care.
What to expect
Referral process
- If you are pregnant and your doctor has told you there might be a problem with your baby, you or your doctor can reach out to an experienced nurse at 717-531-1361. We will gather your initial information and answer any questions you have.
- Fax your prenatal records to 717-531-0824. Once we have reviewed your information, we will schedule your appointment as soon as possible
- If you are a health care professional and would like more information on how to refer a patient, review our Referring Provider Resources below.
Visits at Penn State Health
- Nurse coordinators will schedule any necessary imaging, procedures and consultations, depending on your baby's needs. If multiple visits are needed, we will make them as convenient as possible.
- Advanced fetal imaging will allow for a more individualized care plan. We may offer one or more of these procedures:
- Fetal ultrasound – high-resolution ultrasound images of your baby.
- Fetal echocardiogram – detailed ultrasound that assesses the structure and function of your baby’s heart.
- Fetal MRI – dedicated pediatric radiologists interpret detailed images created by magnetic resonance imaging technology. There is no radiation exposure during a fetal MRI.
- Prenatal genetic testing – noninvasive prenatal screenings, Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis
- After your imaging is complete, you may meet with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (high-risk pregnancy doctor), pediatric cardiologist (children’s heart doctor) or genetic counselor to review your results.
- You may also meet with other pediatric specialists to discuss your baby’s diagnosis and what to expect after your baby is born.
- If you are considering delivery at Penn State Health, our nurse coordinators will provide a tour of the Children’s Hospital. Check out this video for a virtual look at the Women’s Health, NICU and Pediatric Intensive Care units.
Prenatal Care and Delivery
Our Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists care for pregnant patients and their unborn babies at increased risk of complications. They provide consultation, specialty imaging, prenatal care and delivery. Penn State Health Maternal Fetal Medicine providers see patients in Hershey, Harrisburg, Camp Hill and Reading. Other prenatal care services include genetic counseling and testing, lactation counseling, psychiatry and mental health counseling, social services, financial counseling, and childbirth education classes. If you would like to schedule a second opinion with our Maternal Fetal Medicine group, please call 717-531-1361 to speak with a Complex Fetal Care Center nurse coordinator.
- At your visit, we will review the recommended location for your delivery. If you are delivering at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, we will create a personalized plan for you and your baby depending on your medical needs and wishes.
- Prior to your delivery, out-of-town patients may stay across the street from the hospital at the Ronald McDonald House, a national charity that provides free, temporary housing to families of children being treated at children’s hospitals. This housing can be secured after birth for the duration of your baby’s hospital stay.
Our Complex Fetal Care team
At Penn State Health, you will have a team of experts in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and pediatric care. If your baby needs surgical or medical help after birth, the Complex Fetal Care team will be there to guide you every step of the way. Our coordinators help expecting parents meet with the specialists who will care for their baby after birth. We’ll also share your results with the doctors who referred you, making sure everything runs seamlessly for you, your family and your doctors.
Meet the Team
Complex Fetal Care Center
Jaimey M. Pauli, MD
Robert D. Tunks, MD
Complex Fetal Care Team
Allison Irvin, BSN, RN
Complex Fetal Care Center, Nurse Coordinator
Amanda Kumler, BSN, RN
Complex Fetal Care Center, Nurse Coordinator
Rebekah Hudspath, BSN, RNC-OB
Complex Fetal Care Center Nurse Coordinator
Jennifer Stoner, MA
Complex Fetal Care Center Clinical Counselor
Related services and treatments
- Breastfeeding Program
- Child Life Specialists
- Hummingbird Program
- Maternal Fetal Medicine
- Maternity Services
- Neonatology (NICU)
- Pediatric Anesthesia
- Pediatric Cardiology / Children’s Heart Group
- Pediatric Congenital Heart Surgery
- Pediatric Complex Care
- Pediatric Critical Care (PICU)
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) - Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Eye and Vision
- Pediatric Genetics
- Pediatric Imaging and Radiology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pediatric Urology
Your baby’s diagnosis
Click through the body areas below to find care teams and educational resources. Lists are not all-inclusive.
Neurological and Cranial (brain, spinal cord and skull)
Conditions
- Abnormal, absent or underdeveloped areas of the brain
- Acqueductal stenosis
- Brain or spinal cord lesions: Encephaloceles, myelomeningoceles (also known as spina bifida), etc.
- Craniosynostosis
- Microcephaly or anencephaly
- Septo-optic dysplasia
- Ventriculomegaly or hydrocephalus
Resources
Facial (eyes, nose, mouth, jaw)
Conditions
- Cleft lip and/or palate
- Eye anomalies like Hypotelorism
- Micrognathia, retrognathia, other issues with the jaw bones
- Pierre Robin sequence
- Tongue anomalies like macroglossia
Resources
Cardiac (heart)
Conditions
- Abnormal heart rate and rhythms like heart blocks, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), etc.
- Aortic atresia or stenosis
- Atrioventricular canal defects
- Double outlet right ventricle
- Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and single ventricle heart defects
- Interrupted aortic arch
- Pulmonary atresia or stenosis
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Transposition of the great arteries
- Tricuspid atresia
- Truncus arteriosus
Resources
Thoracic/chest (lungs, esophagus and diaphragm)
Conditions
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
- Esophageal atresia
- Lung lesions or masses, like congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) and bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS)
- Pulmonary hypoplasia
- Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF)
Resources
Abdomen (stomach, intestine, abdominal wall and digestive system)
Conditions
- Anorectal atresia or imperforate anus
- Dilated bowel and suspected large intestine atresias
- Duodenal atresia and other small intestine atresias
- Gastroschisis
- Omphalocele
- Situs inversus
Resources
Renal and Urogenital (kidney, bladder and genital)
Conditions
- Ambiguous genitalia
- Cloacal anomalies
- Hydronephrosis and urinary tract dilation
- Lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO)
- Multicystic dysplastic kidneys
- Multicystic kidney disease
- Prune belly syndrome
- Small or underdeveloped kidneys
Resources
Skeletal (bones and joint)
Conditions
- Clubfoot
- Spinal malformations like achondroplasia
- Missing or deformed limbs
- Congenital scoliosis
Resources
Genetic
Conditions
- DiGeorge (22q deletion syndrome)
- Trisomy 13
- Trisomy 18
- Trisomy 21
Resources
- Cystic Fibrosis Program
- Digital and print resources for genetic conditions
- National Organization for Rare Disorders - patient advocacy organization dedicated to individuals with rare diseases
- Pediatric Feeding Program
- Prenatal and pediatric genetic counseling
- SOFT inspires hope and respects all on their Trisomy journey
- Other books on Down syndrome:
- “Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected” by Kelle Hampton
- “Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents’ Guide” by Susan J. Skallerup
Virtual Tour
The Complex Fetal Care Center at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital offers support and guidance to families while providing the best care for mothers and babies when unexpected complications arise during pregnancy and after delivery.
Patient Stories
Kourtney Cannon, center, Complex Fetal Care Center patient, and Dr. Jaimey Pauli, right, Labor and Delivery medical director
The Campisi family turned to the Complex Fetal Care Center at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital when they learned their twins would be born with life-altering complications. Our team of specialists helped them walk through the diagnosis, ensured the babies arrived safely and took care of them every step of the way.
Referring physician resources
The Complex Fetal Care Center is a central contact for all your prenatal specialty referrals. For detailed instructions and contact information, refer to our Referring Providers Guide.
Contact us
Do you have a question about the Complex Fetal Care Center or want to learn more about our services at the Children’s Hospital? Please fill out the secure form below. A nurse coordinator will contact you within one to two business days. If you need an immediate response, call 717-531-1361 to speak directly with a nurse coordinator.